Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Authorities have apprehended 44-year-old David Angelo Lunedei Jr. on charges including the burglary of two vehicles, the theft of a laptop and mobile hotspot, as well as possession of drug paraphernalia.
At approximately 7:35 a.m. on September 18, a Gainesville Police Department officer was dispatched in response to a report from a witness in the 1200 block of W. University Avenue regarding a man seen opening a car door and searching inside.
The witness watched the man until the officer arrived and made contact with Lunedei at the intersection of University Avenue and NW 13th Street.
The victim said nothing was missing from her vehicle, but she wanted to press charges for unlawfully entering her vehicle.
After being read his Miranda rights, Lunedei allegedly confessed to entering the car to search for cigarettes. Upon failing to find any, he claimed to cease his search and leave the area.
During the arrest, a search reportedly uncovered a glass pipe typically associated with crack cocaine use, and Lunedei allegedly confessed to using it to smoke “crack.”
Lunedei was reportedly in possession of a shopping cart containing items including a laptop and a mobile hotspot labeled with “UF Foundation” stickers. The UF Foundation confirmed these items were issued to an employee. The employee recounted that around 5 p.m. the previous day, he parked near the intersection of University Avenue and Main Street. Upon returning to his car at about 6:45 p.m., he noticed his jacket on the ground outside but assumed it had fallen accidentally.
The officer encouraged the employee to inspect his car, revealing the laptop and mobile hotspot had been taken, in addition to a backpack, chargers, and other miscellaneous items valued at roughly $90. The laptop is estimated to be worth about $800, while the hotspot is worth approximately $150.
Post Miranda, Lunedei reportedly admitted that he had taken a backpack from a vehicle downtown the previous day. He said he dumped out the items he could not sell and kept the laptop and mobile hotspot; he provided an approximate location for the other items, but the arrest report did not state whether they were found.
Lunedei, whose address is listed as GRACE Marketplace, has been charged with two counts of unarmed burglary of a vehicle, grand theft, theft, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He has one felony conviction (non-violent), and Judge Jonathan Ramsey set bail at $30,000 on the charges.
Lunedei was arrested in March 2024 for throwing a rock through the window of a Santa Fe College property and was initially charged with property damage over $200 and property damage over $1,000. He was released on his own recognizance to Court Services for contact supervision, but a warrant for his arrest was issued eight days later because he never contacted Court Services after his release. He was re-arrested in May 2024, and on May 30, he entered a plea of nolo contendere to property damage over $1,000. Judge James Colaw ordered adjudication of guilt withheld and sentenced him to nine months in jail with credit for 25 days served, along with nine months of administrative probation that auto-terminated when he was released from jail. His probation was successfully terminated on December 15, 2024.
On July 20, 2025, Lunedei was detained for pulling door handles on cars in the 1300 block of W. University Avenue, and the police officer reportedly found a gram of crack cocaine in his possession. He was charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. The case was assigned to Drug Court, and Lunedei signed a Drug Court covenant on September 10 in which the State Attorney’s office agreed to dismiss the charges if he abided by the agreement for 12 months. He was released on September 15 and transported to a residential treatment facility, but he left the facility the next day and did not contact Court Services, so a warrant for his arrest was issued on September 18.
On top of the new charges above, Lunedei will now be prosecuted for possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, and Judge Jonathan Ramsey set bail of $20,000 on those charges.
Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
